TEEN FOOD FETISHES

So much for three meals a day. Those days are over, at least for
today's teens. The average male teenager eats about five times a
day, and the average female four times a day, according to a study
by New York City-based research firm BuzzBack.

But while many teens seem to be well-fed, others have some
serious issues with food. For instance, more than a third (35
percent) of all teen girls (ages 13 to 19) say they often skip
meals because they are too busy, 22 percent skip meals as a way of
dieting and 21 percent admit that they sometimes binge after
skipping meals. The boys' food habits are different, but not much
better. About two-thirds (66 percent) say that they drink non-diet
colas. Chips are their favorite snack, followed by cookies and
candy bars.

There does seem to be some light at the bottom of the vending
machine, however. Fully 70 percent of teen girls and 56 percent of
boys say they want to improve the way they are eating, according to
the BuzzBack report, â€œUnderstanding Teen Attitudes and
Behaviors Around Health and Nutrition.â€? The study was
conducted online between June 27 and July 1, 2002, among a
geographically diverse sample of 521 teens (ages 13 to 19).
Respondents were asked questions designed to explore teen attitudes
and behaviors related to health and nutrition, and to uncover the
role played by gender, age and lifestyle.

The survey findings reveal that at least some teens are making
efforts to eat food that's more nutritious. For instance, 42
percent agree with the statement: â€œI try to eat what's right
for me as often as I can,â€? 34 percent say that â€œwhen I
snack, I like to snack on healthier foods like fruits and
vegetables,â€? and 29 percent say that they â€œthink about
nutrition a lot when I select the foods that I eat.â€? In
addition, a quarter (24 percent) of teen girls, and 15 percent of
teen boys, eat vegetarian foods very often or frequently, and 16
percent of each group eat organic products that often.

To exert more control over the food they consume, teenage girls
are more likely to prepare their own bag lunch for school (40
percent) than to risk the cafeteria's â€œsurpriseâ€? dish
of the day (31 percent). Male teens, however, are more adventurous:
37 percent of them usually eat in the school cafeteria, and just 31
percent brown-bag it. Similarly, while 21 percent of girls
typically prepare dinner for themselves, only 13 percent of boys
do.

Still, it seems that the promise of being thinner or more
attractive is a stronger motivational force for change than better
health is, especially for teen girls. Though 54 percent of the boys
say they are happy with their current weight, just 38 percent of
the girls say the same. And while 26 percent of teenage girls check
for calories and fat on nutritional labels, only 14 percent of them
check for vitamins or nutrients.

The report recommends that food manufacturers pay attention to
the large number of teens, girls in particular, who avoid the
school cafeteria, as there may be untapped opportunities for
introducing more healthful snacks or on-the-go meal replacements.
The authors also make a plea to parents to better inform teens
about the downside of emotionally driven eating habits (such as
meal skipping and binging) and about the physical and emotional
benefits of more consistent eating habits.

Overall, the study's findings show that, even if they don't
always eat right, teens are very aware that what they put into
their bodies does affect their health. â€œThere is an
attitudinal shift toward greater health awareness, and a growing
need among this target [group] to look and feel â€˜goodâ€™
as a result of peer, societal and self-inflicted pressures,â€?
say the authors of the BuzzBack report. â€œArmed with
nutritional knowledge, motivated by the need to protect and promote
their self-image and empowered with a greater capacity for choosing
what and where they eat, teens are fast becoming a powerful and
lucrative force in today's marketing landscape.â€?